FIRST LIST OF THE BIRDS OF THE SOUTH KOttKAN. 35 



the nest, I found a half-eaten fowl in it freshly killed. At night 

 they roost, whether breeding or not, close to the nest. The 

 young are very soon driven off after they are able to shift 

 for themselves. 



They breed in October, November and December. The ear- 

 liest egg I have was taken on the 21st October, and the latest, 

 hard-set and just ready to hatch out, on the 16th December. 

 All the nests I have seen, about twelve, have been in trees. 

 They are gigantic platforms, built of strong thick sticks fully five 

 feet in diameter, with a comparatively slight depression in the 

 centre. The same nests are used, year after year, a few sticks 

 being added each year by way of repairs. There is a well- 

 known nest on the fork of two horizontal branches of an old 

 banyan tree, overhanging the massive walls of the ruined 

 island fort of Suvamdurg. I first saw this eyrie in 1869. 

 How ancient it was then I don't know, but ten years later, in 

 October 1879, it had two fresh eggs in it. At this particular 

 place the old birds are very wild and wary, but where, as fre- 

 quently happens, they build in large trees in the midst of 

 houses and cocoanut gardens, they become very familiar and 

 are not easily disturbed. Their loud, clanging note, when close 

 over head, is almost deafening, and is audible at the distance 

 of a mile or more. 



In all the nests that I have taken, containing single eggs, the 

 eggs have been fresh ; and wherever the eggs were hard-set, 

 or there were young birds, the number was two. The eggs 

 are greenish white, unspotted, and rather smooth but with no 

 gloss, with a pale green or eau de nil lining. The average of 

 six eggs measured gives a length of 2*81, and a breadth of 2*07, 

 the largest egg measuring 3 by 2' 06 and the smallest 2 - 7l 

 by 2 -04. 



48.— Butastur teesa, Frankl. 



I Palgad, 

 I Lanje. 



Scarce. Only found as yet at the places indicated which are 

 midway between the sea and the Ghats. 



51.— Circus macrurus, S. G. Gm. 



Ratnagiri. J Palgad. 



I Dapuli. I 



5th February 1879, Male. — Length, 17^; wing, 13£ ; tarsus, 3. 

 Slst January 1879, Female. — Length, 19; wing, 14£; tarsus, 

 3 ; tail, 9. 



Common from October to April on all the more open parts 

 of the tract. 



5 



